The invention relates to a dilatation catheter for the widening of a stricture in a blood vessel comprising a dilatation balloon arranged on a support tube and extensible up to a defined extent by means of an external pressure/suction pump to be connected to the support tube.
Dilatation catheters of this type are generally known and are used in particular for the widening of strictures in the arterial system. Such conventional dilatation catheters could not be used for treating strictures (stenoses) in the carotid artery on account of the high risk of an embolism. Therefore, in the treatment of strictures in the carotid artery, the comparatively mild treatment with a catheter has hitherto had to be dispensed with.